The Iconic “Knish Nosh” Plans National Expansion & Seeks Partners Knish Nosh, Since 1952, Is Here To Stay Despite Rumors
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Knish Nosh October 4, 2025.
BY MICHAEL PERLMAN
If food could be landmarked, a traditional baked round knish, available in several delectable varieties, would be on top, alongside a vast array of soulful home-cooked meals. For nearly 74 years, Knish Nosh has been enticing palates of New Yorkers and even tourists with authenticity. Located at 98-104 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, it holds a record as one of the few remaining kosher style nostalgic “mom and pop shops” that read NYC all over it.
Last week, however, a post by someone named Sarah in a Facebook group, read “Knish Nosh on Queens Blvd will apparently be for sale soon as Haig Schneiderman, the owner, is getting ready to retire. Who wants to buy this business?” That rumor was short-lived as this columnist took to Facebook after speaking with the owner, who verified that it was fake news.
“I was surprised that somebody was spreading rumors about Knish Nosh and in regard to me retiring. That’s not going to happen. I’ve been sitting down with financial investors and strategic partners to expand the Knish Nosh brand not only locally, but across the country,” said Schneiderman, who emphasized his long-term commitment and discussed expansion plans. “Not to worry, all you Knish Noshers out there. We love you. You are a very strong family from generation to generation. We will be around everywhere shortly. Over the past 20 years, I wanted to expand Knish Nosh, but timing is everything, and now’s the right time.”
Hundreds of comments across Facebook that one day lamented the rumors and wondered about a future, shifted on the following day to thousands reminiscing and recommending sites for a nationwide expansion. Schneiderman explained, “I was flattered by the overwhelming response. It shows you how strong our brand is, and how much people appreciate Knish Nosh. We are receiving feedback and it’s very exciting. It should be a landmark for many years to come. It’s one of those places that’s very special in everybody’s heart. During the pandemic, we stayed open. They said that if we closed, it would have been the end for them. I always tell people ‘Knish Nosh doesn’t have customers. We have fans.’” He cited the name, brand, and the nearly 80-year-old recipes as components of preserving a tradition.
Knish Nosh remains loyal to its mantra, “Fresh, Nutritious, Always Delicious.” “It is comfort food at its best,” said Schneiderman. The retail expansion will focus increasingly on sitting down and enjoying a full line of foods in fast casual restaurants. “I love the concept of a drive-thru Knish Nosh. We want to be known for our expansion as a knishery, which serves the best in deli items. We came up with really interesting retail concepts, so stay tuned. For example, we want to add wonderful toppings to all of our knishes. We test-marketed it this past summer in Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, and it was extremely successful for us.”
Knish Nosh chef Ana Vasilescu and owner Haig Schneiderman. Photo by Michael Perlman.
In reference to the wholesale expansion plan, he said, “We will focus on club stores and supermarkets, so everyone can bake Knish Nosh knishes at home. We also envision having our wonderful knishes served in public and private school lunches across the country, since they are gourmet items that are filling and loaded in nutritional value. Let’s get the next generation of Knish Noshers!” Most knishes are 100 percent vegan, and he visualizes a Vegan Friday catching on in schools.
Collectibles are an aspect of the business blueprint. “We will come out with a Knish Nosh cookbook, as well as t-shirts, hats, shirts, and hoodies, since people ask for it all the time. We currently have our cooler bags, which we ship overnight countrywide. Our postcards will once again feature heating instructions for our famous knishes. We will also expand our overnight business, where you can shop online.”
Knish Nosh’s expansion can dot the map. Retail locations could include Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and Chicago, as well as sections of Florida, New Jersey, California, Georgia, Manhattan, and Long Island to name a few. “We will aim for every state. We really want to target the great northwest because of all the ski resorts, where knishes and our soup line will be great. I see Knish Nosh in every major ski town across the country, since it is perfect food for athletes. We will also focus on sports and entertainment venues,” said Schneiderman. Knishes, franks-in-a-blanket, and deli sandwiches with a highlight on our delicious pastrami would be the focus at stadiums. In the mid-2000s, there was a Knish Nosh cafe at Conservatory Waters in Central Park, which can be revisited, in addition to considering kiosks in other parks.
In 1952, Knish Nosh was owned by Bronx native Sam Heller, who would earn the nickname “The Godfather of Queens Boulevard.” It operated in a small and very neighborly corner storefront at 101-02 Queens Boulevard, adorned with classic neon signs. His childhood friend Harvey Wallis was the co-owner until 1990. Knish Nosh relocated in 2001 to 100-30 Queens Boulevard, and on February 7, 2003, Heller passed a torch of great tradition to owner Haig Schneiderman, who fulfilled a dream from his youth. He reminisced, “I was 16 in 1976 and playing in a tournament at the West Side Tennis Club. We passed by, and I had my first knish. I thought, ‘So many people love it, but why is there only one shop?’ From the first time I entered Knish Nosh, it’s always been a special place, which is the sentiment of many Knish Noshers. When I retired from the Garment Center, I had the ability to purchase Knish Nosh.”
In 2005, Schneiderman hired Chef Ana Vasilescu, who worked at Lazar’s Kosher Meats & Poultry. They expanded Knish Nosh’s longtime menu of knishes, unique hard-dough rugalech featuring organic raisins, raspberry jam and cinnamon (a century-old recipe favorite for warming up and dunking), and signature franks-in-a-blanket to a full line of specialty foods. The menu includes meat or vegan stuffed cabbage, potato, spinach, or brisket pierogies, potato or sweet potato latkes, rotisserie chicken, kasha varnishkes, chicken meatballs, chicken cutlets, brisket, Chef Ana’s Garlic Chicken, kugel, chicken vegetable croquettes, pasta with meat sauce, and a variety of salads, including cole slaw, potato salad, and pasta salad. Soulful soups include chicken matzah ball, kreplach, cabbage, borscht, vegetable, split pea, and mushroom barley. Since 2015, Knish Nosh has operated at its current address. After the nearby Ben’s Best Delicatessen shuttered in 2018, community wishes were granted by Knish Nosh preparing pastrami, corned beef, brisket, and turkey sandwiches.
“My grandma encouraged me to cook as a young girl, and I had no time to play,” said Chef Ana, who was a child prodigy in Romania. “Every Sunday, I would watch three hours of cooking shows. Julia Child and Jacques Pépin were my largest influences.” Today she works long hours daily, applies her magic touch, and greets patrons with a smile. She said, “Knish Nosh is enjoyed by everyone. I meet people from every ethnicity, and I feel good when people are happy. It’s all homemade. I also like to spend holidays with everyone through my cooking.”
A scrumptious spread by Chef Ana. Photo by Michael Perlman.
On average, 1,000 to 1,200 knishes are served daily. “Knish” is a Yiddish word that descended from the Polish word, “knysz,” and in Knish Nosh’s case, has a dough that is round and is stuffed with a filling and baked. Each variety has potato as its base. In 1952, a knish was 20 cents, and the earliest varieties were potato, kasha, and liver. Although a liver knish is currently unavailable, varieties added over time include spinach, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potato, mushroom, jalapeño, meat, corned beef, and pastrami. “Now our focus is to develop superfood knishes to continue our nutritious nosh,” said Schneiderman.
Current and former residents shared fond memories, while eying Knish Nosh’s future. “If there’s a way to expand nationwide with a good branding agency, I believe it has the potential to be what a bagel has become,” said San Francisco resident Wendy Beck. She was raised in Bayside and lived in Kew Gardens in the 1980s. “I find myself knish-less in San Francisco, where I have lived for 31 years. I truly believe a good knish, sliced open a bit with some spicy brown mustard, is the perfect street food.”
When Rego Park resident Anne Levner, a 24-year patron, stepped inside last week, Chef Ana was bombarded with phone calls, asking if Knish Nosh was for sale. “She was so upset and hurt. I’m so happy that they were only rumors, which should have never started,” said Levner, who loves all of Ana’s food, beginning with her chicken noodle soup. “I run there for some whenever I feel like I am coming down with a cold. I go whenever the urge hits me, and especially for Passover and Rosh Hashanah. I find Ana to be kind, efficient, friendly, and a great cook, and I love the sweet potato latkes and carrot tzimmes,” she continued. Referencing the wrongful rumor, Chef Ana said, “Before Yom Kippur, not only did we have long lines, but the telephone was ringing nonstop, since people were very concerned.”
Susan Chernin Swidler called Rego Park home from 1964 to 1978. She reminisced, “I went to Knish Nosh with my mom and looked forward to it. Even after I was no longer living there, when I went to see my mom or happened to be in Queens, my husband and I picked up knishes of all sizes to freeze and eat.” Fast-forward to summer 2025, she said, “When I saw Knish Nosh’s concession at Bethel Woods (Sullivan County), it took me right back to the store on Queens Boulevard. I bought four knishes and took them to my summer house near Bethel Woods. I ended up sharing them with friends who grew up in Forest Hills and Rego Park. We were all 12 years old again.”
Knish Nosh deli sandwich display. Photo by Michael Perlman.
When Central Florida resident Lois Behr visits Forest Hills, she finds it tempting to patronize Knish Nosh. She wrote a note for the owner: “My grandparents lived on 67th Avenue and Burns Street, and we would walk to Knish Nosh all the time. It is a staple for four generations; my grandparents, my parents, me and my husband, and now both of my adult children. I’ve been going there since I was a kid, and it’s amazing to see how you’ve managed to keep the tradition alive. You truly are a New York institution.” Envisioning its growth, she recommended Boca Raton as an ideal site, and said, “I would love to be able to support the business.”
Award-winning performer, producer, and author Henry H. Sapoznik of Brooklyn featured Knish Nosh in his new book, “The Tourist’s Guide to Lost Yiddish New York City.” He explained, “While other areas of traditional Jewish food traditions fall away, it is exciting to see this one growing. The Knish Nosh mission to keep alive this humble part of the Jewish experience will continue to put them and their customers in direct line with great Jewish food history. Biz 120!” Furthermore, their classic feel-good food has proven to have fans from all ethnic groups and attracts each generation.
Bonnie Rothman Weinstein composed a note for the owner: “My business has been in Forest Hills for over 50 years. I grew up in Queens, and your store was a staple of our house parties and boat weekends, where all my friends loved your knishes. Now I live in Baldwin, Long Island, but my husband still works near you and brings knishes home every chance he gets. Come out to Long Island (Bellmore, Merrick, The Five Towns, Massapequa, and Huntington). They will love your knishes. Wishing you many more years!”
“When people walk through our door, they have a big smile on their face. Everyone knows who we are, whether it is a police officer, firefighter, superintendent, or a younger or older kid whose parents bring them here. It’s a tradition, and now we are putting together a strong team to execute our vision. We are aiming for next spring. Sam Heller passed the baton, and now we are bringing it to the next level,” explained Schneiderman. To recommend future locations and express interest in joining a very dedicated national Knish Nosh team as a financial investor or strategic partner, email Haig Schneiderman at haigknishnosh@gmail.com. Patrons can call 718-897-5554.
